Sennheiser GSP 670 review: Wireless freedom

There are a lot of things to consider when looking for the perfect gaming headset. The hefty price attached to most demands careful consideration. Should you go wired or wireless? How’s the battery life? What devices is it compatible with? With the Sennheiser GSP 670, I’ll go over all these points, detailing one of the better high-end gaming headsets I’ve tested recently.

Learning the ropes

The GSP 670 arrived in slick packaging, which I’ve come to expect from Sennheiser. I was pleased to see there were only three items in the box, including the headset, wireless dongle, and USB cable for charging or using the device while wired. Nothing included in the package took up precious desk space, as even the wireless dongle popped into a free USB port on my PC without taking up significant space.

To get full functionality from the GSP 670 requires the installation of the Sennheiser Gaming Suite, a piece of software that handles tasks like firmware updates for the headset and dongle, monitoring battery life, volume control, and presets for types of media. These presets include flat, movie, music, and esports.

Normally, I wouldn’t focus on software in a hardware review, but the GSP 670 and software are a package deal, so it’s worth noting the Sennheiser Gaming Suite leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, under no circumstances could I stop it from running automatically when booting my PC, even though the option exists. It was also a bummer to see the battery life only displayed when the headset was used wirelessly with the dongle, and not when the USB cable was charging it.

The setup for the GSP 670 was simple with each device I connected it to. I tested the wireless dongle on my PC and my PS4, and both connected without issue. I was able to connect the headset to my iPhone XS Max via Bluetooth, and that too took only seconds. It’s nice to have a wireless headset that will work with my phone, as nothing peeves me more than holding a phone up to my ear for an hour.

The audio gauntlet

My first few hours with the Sennheiser GSP 670 were work hours, so I tested it with music, a couple of calls via Slack and Discord, and a movie. I swapped the audio presets from movie to music appropriately, and there was a noticeable difference in sound. The music preset sounds full and comes through with a high-quality sound that does justice to songs with a fair amount of bass. I found myself listening to music for a couple hours with the GSP 670 because I was thoroughly enjoying the sound quality.

When it was time to run the GSP 670 through some gaming, I chose a few different titles over a few days to get a good sample size. Monster Hunter World provided the main testing grounds. For the most part it was a wonderful experience. When using a quality, closed-ear headset, it’s common pick up on subtleties not possible with open-ear headsets or speakers. I was able to hear my palico purring on the load screen, something I hadn’t noticed before.

The Long Dark, another favorite game for me to test a headset, provides many opportunities to use sound. The GSP 670 was again up to the task, allowing me to tell the difference between the footsteps of a wolf versus a deer, or to hear the rattling of gear in my pack and tell what the gear was.

The only area of concern while gaming was a few moments of stuttering or crackling. I’m not sure what caused it, but it sounded like the headset either briefly dropped its connection with the USB dongle, or it struggled to handle the sounds in the game. This was an issue several times. There were sessions where I had zero problems, but also sessions where the crackling would happen two or three times. I equate it to a game crashing; it’s fine if it happens once or twice over an extended period, but if the game crashes two or three times in a session, that’s not a small issue. I checked to ensure the battery was good each time, and at no point was it below 50 percent.

The rest of the story

Speaking of the battery, Sennheiser is making a name for itself with me when it comes to the battery life of their headsets. In my review of the Sennheiser GSP 370, I noted that the battery was the best I’d seen for a wireless headset. I’ll let the GSP 370 keep that title, but the battery on the GSP 670 is also fantastic. It claims to last 16 to 20 hours depending on how it’s used, and I can’t disagree. I was able to use this device across multiple sessions, each several hours long, and never worried about the battery.

There were no issues with holding a wireless connection as I moved through my house. I like to head to the kitchen to fix a drink as my gaming sessions progress, and that’s about 30 feet away and a level below. At no point did I stop hearing game audio or have trouble talking to my buddies in Discord. I could hear them clearly and them me, although I take issue with the claim that the mic is broadcast quality.

Anyone I spoke to on Slack or Discord was able to hear me fine, but these are also people who are used to hearing me through an Audio Technica AT2020. They all noted that I sounded different. There was a dip in quality from the Audio Technical AT2020 to the Sennheiser GSP 670 mic, which is expected. I don’t expect a headset with a built-in mic to live up to a standalone mic, but I’d caution anyone who thinks they are getting a top-level microphone suitable for livestreaming or YouTube to pause and do some research.

Hitting the road

The downsides to the GSP 670 were few, but they existed. Hiccups experienced while gaming were quite concerning to me, and I’d encourage further research before purchasing. The software wasn’t great, and polish would be required before it could be counted as a strength of owning a Sennheiser product. Even if the software is a minor issue, those need to be factored, especially with a headset that will set gamers back $349.95 USD, or $469.95 CDN.

Thankfully, the upsides during my time with the Sennheiser GSP 670 far outweighed the negative. I was impressed by the sound no matter what I was doing, but it shined while listening to music or gaming, as I’d expect. The battery exceeded expectations, which is a trend with Sennheiser headsets recently. The range was great, and the flexibility of swapping from one device to the next makes the Sennheiser GSP a viable solution to complex home-audio needs. If you’re in the market for a new wireless-gaming headset, take pause and consider the Sennheiser GSP 670.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.